Apparatus for obtaining ammonia



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1. L. STERNBERG. APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AMMONIA. No. 522,357. Patented July 3, 1894.

W k A A 4 1m a Y mon feed chamber, d, into which is inserted:

the feed pipe, d, provided with the two slide,

ber 6 This arran ement ermits. fresh UNITED "STAT S- PATENT OFFICE.

' Lori-1A3 STERNBERG, OF JERSEY-CITY, NEW JERSEY.

APPARAT'us FO'R-OBTAININGAMMONIA.

- forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,357, dated July 3, 1894; Application filed 0ctober 19,1893. SBllEtINO- 488,585. (No model.)

organic mattersdescribed in the pending ap plication, Serial No. 450,760, for Letters Patent of the United States therefor.

The improvement is embodied in the apparatus which is illustrated in the following drawings: v

Figure l is an end elevation, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section.

The drawings represent the furnace, A, containing eight vertical retorts, a, arranged in groups of four.- The number of retorts, however, and their sizes may be varied as required.

The furnace may be heated either by fire the supply. of gas produced by the process may be sufiicientfor-heating the retorts, but at the commencement ofthe operation, if no gas from any source is available, heat may-be obtained from the fire upon the grate.

Preferably four retorts are associated inone group. Each group has at the top a comvalves, 6 e. The space between the slide valves, e and e, constitutes the charge chamcharges of material to be from time to time introduced without allowing the outside air to come into contact with, the glowingmass Within horetorts.

The lowerendsoffthe retorts extend a suitable distance into the common receiving chamber, f,.closed at the top f and communicatiing at the bottom with the discharge chamin the discharge chamber is discharged With- 7 out allowing outside air to have access to the v interior of the receiving chamber.

If a fluid organic matter is to be treated it must, previous to its introduction into the retort, be transferred into a solid porous body :in the manner practiced in obtaining ammonia' and other salts present in molasses, as described in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 486,647.

Each retort is provided with a vertical screw of coarse pitch, the thread, 9, of which winds spirally around and is affixed to the elongated drum, g, mounted upon the hollow shaft, 9 which is stepped at its lower'end in the bearing, and has its uppermost bearing in the stuffing box g having also an intermediate bearing in the hollow stu'ffing box,

heated within the shaft, and to some extent coolthe shaft and preserve the screw from being destroyed by the heat within the retort.

The gases and vapors issue from the lower ends of the retorts into the receiving .chamber, f, from the upper part of which they are led'by the pipe, .9, intotheiabsorber, k, of

common construction, wherein 1' by. contact -with sulfuric'acid the ammonia 1s absorbed and transformed-into sulfate of ammonia.

The gases, freed from the ammonia, are drawnrfrom theupper part of the absorber jbyv means of a gas pump, Z, and by whichthey are driven either into the gasometer, m, or

through the branch pipe, m, directly into the gas service. pipe, m in which'lattercase the valves; m and n, will be closed. When the gas is in excess the valve, m will be kept open so that the gas willbe delivered into thev gasometer and by opening the valve, m, the I00 gas will be forced from the gasometer into the gas service pipe, m

From the gas service pipe the gas is delivered to a system of distributing pipes, one of which, 'n, is shown in Fig. 2. Each distributing pipe is provided near the top with a valve, 'n', by opening which the gas is allowed to How into the gas inlet 0, from which it is discharged into the furnace, wherein it is used to heat the retort by being burned with air which is introduced into the furnace through the adjacent air inlet 0. At its lower end the distributing pipe, n, is provided with a valve, 71?, by which it is connected with the pipe, h, by means of which it is conducted into the hollow stuffing box, It, as already mentioned.

In operation the retorts are at first filled with the material which is to be treated, which material is introduced through the feed pipe, (1, and falls through the retorts into the receiving chamber, f, which it only partially fills, because the top of the receiving chamher is, as will be seen, above the lower ends of the retorts. A fire is then started upon the grate, b, and after the retorts have become heated and gas has been formed it is introduced into the furnace chamber through the gas inlet 0, and there burned as described for the purpose of keeping up the heat. Rotatory motion is imparted to the vertical screws in the retorts from the worm shaft, 19, which is adapted to engage the worm wheels 13', affixed to the lower ends of the hollow shaft, g, respectively. By the rotation of the screws the material contained within the retorts is kept from packing tightly and is so loosened that the gases introduced into and generated in the retort can easily penetrate and make their way through the incandescent mass of material contained in the retort. As the operation progresses and occasion arises for the removal of material from the receiving chamber, the slide valve, f, is opened and the material is allowed to fall into and fill the discharge chamber, f after which the valve, f, is closed and the door, f", of the discharge chamber is opened. Quantities of material approximating in bulk to the bulk of the discharged material are introduced at the top, as described, by successively filling and emptying the charge chamber 0 As already explained, the gas delivered from the gas pump can be driven directly into the gas service pipe, 1713, without being made to pass through the gasometer, which is only required for use when the gas is in excess and occasion arises for temporarily storing such excess of gas. The gas service pipe, m is provided with a branch, g, by means of which, if desired, the gas or any portion thereof may be conducted Oh? for some other purpose in any case wherein it is not desired to introduce it into the retorts or to burn it in the furnace.

What is claimed as the invention is- 1. In a system of vertical retorts arranged in groups, the combination as herein set forth of a group of vertical retorts contained with in a suitable furnace chamber, means for charging said retorts without exposing their contents to direct contact with the outside air, a receiving chamber into which the lower ends of said retorts project, a discharge chamher, a movable door for opening and closing the outlet from said discharge chamber, a valve for opening and closing communication from said receiving chamber to said discharge chamber, yertical screws contained within the said retorts respectively, means for rotating said screws, a gas discharge pipe leading from the upper part of said receiving chamber, an absorber of the usual construction into which said gas discharge pipe leads, and gas pump for pumping gas from said absorber.

2. The combination, as herein set forth, of a vertical retort, a feed chamber at the top of said retort, a receiving chamber into which the lower end of said retort extends a prescribed distance, a screw within said retort, a hollow vertical shaft upon which said screw is mounted, means for rotating said hollow shaft, a hollow stuffing box affording one of the bearings for said shaft, said hollow shaft having a perforation connecting its interior with said feed chamber and also a perforation connecting its interior with said hollow stuffing box, a gas pipe communicating with said hollow stufiing box, a steam supply pipe connected with said gas pipe, an absorber, a gas pump and suitable pipe connections for drawing off the gas from said receiving chamber and forcing it mixed with steam into said hollow stuffing box, thence through said he]- low shaft into said feed chamber and therefrom into said retort.

3. The combination, as herein set forth, of a furnace provided with a gas inlet and an air inlet, a group of vertical retorts contained within said furnace, a feed chamber at the top of said retorts, a receiving chamber into which the lower ends of said retorts project a prescribed distance, each of said retorts being provided with a screw mounted upon a hollow vertical shaft, means for rotating said hollow shafts and the screws mounted thereon, an absorber and a gas pump and suitable pipe connections and valves for withdrawing gas from said receiving chamber and forcing any desired portion of said gas into said furnace chamber for the purpose of burning it therein and also forcing any desired portion of said gas into a pipe communicating with said hollow shafts and with a steam supply pipe, whereby any desired portion of said gas mixed with steam is introduced under pressure into the upper ends of said retorts.

4:. A system of vertical retorts arranged in groups contained in suitable furnace chambers and provided respectively with rotating vertical screws, an absorber, a gas pump anda gasometer and suitable pipe connections a and valves for withdrawing gas from receiving chambers into which the lower ends of said retorts extend and for distributing the said gas in any desired proportions to the said gasometer, to said furnacechambers for combustiontherein, and to feed chambers communicating with the upper ends of said re- 10 torts.

LOTHAR STERNBERG.

Witnesses:

ABRAM J AGOBSON, E. GATTERER. 

